Ahead of International Day of Human Space Flight ... Sputnik 1 satellite became the first man-made object to leave the earth’s atmosphere after the USSR launched the device on October 4, 1957.

It was 60 years ago, on November 3, 1957, that Laika—an 11-lb ... The rocket that lifted Laika to space was dubbed Sputnik 2, but that concealed its ominous pedigree: it was actually a modified ...

Laika was a three-year-old mixed terrier who was taken from the streets of Russia and thrust into a rocket in the name of ...

On 4 October 1957 the USSR launched Sputnik - the first man-made object in space. As the Sputnik satellite orbited the Earth it sent back a radio signal that was picked up around the world.